Stafford Library, Vol 11 - The Book of Heortling Mythology.pdf

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The Stafford Library – Volume XI
The Book of
Heortling
Mythology
Compiled articles about Heortling Mythology
from the Dawn Age through to the Hero Wars
By Greg Stafford
and Jeff Richard
The Stafford Library: Volume XI
The Book of Heortling Mythology
- The Book of
Heortling Mythology -
Compiled Notes of Issariada
By Greg Stafford, Jeff Richard and Martin Hawley
Sections by: Andrew Dawson, David Dunham, John Hughes, Jeff Kyer,
Robin Laws, Roderick Robertson, and many others
Art by Simon Bray
Maps by Todd Gardiner, Greg Stafford, and Eric Vanel
Charts by Martin Hawley
Index by Martin Hawley and Matthew Cole
Layout by Rick Meints
Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................... 3
Issariada............................................................................... 3
The Storm Tribe................................................................... 5
The Great Deities................................................................. 5
The Ages of the World ...................................................... 12
The Creation Age............................................................... 15
The Green Age .................................................................. 19
The Umath Age ................................................................. 26
The Discovery Age............................................................ 37
Myths of Dragon Pass........................................................ 43
The Struggle Against the Emperor .................................... 52
The Flood Era .................................................................... 64
The Great Storm Age......................................................... 76
Vingkotlings, The Human Struggle, early ......................... 88
The Great Darkness ........................................................... 96
The Lifebringers Quest .................................................... 110
The Rebirth ...................................................................... 118
Heort ................................................................................ 120
The Silver Age ................................................................. 128
Kings of the Orlanthi........................................................ 131
History After the Dawn.................................................... 133
Part Two: Short Tales ...................................................... 144
Other Heortling Topics .................................................... 144
Part Three: Appendices.................................................... 164
Appendix A. Orlanthi Entities.......................................... 164
Appendix B: The Storm Realm........................................ 171
Appendix C: Orlanthi Heroes and Hero Cults.................. 174
Appendix D – Orlanthi Pantheon List and Runes ............ 186
INDEX ............................................................................. 187
The pen of Lhankor Mhy wrote this book, and his blessing lies upon it and all who use it properly. But for
anyone who profanes it, steals it, or copies its contents: may his eyes fall out, may his fingers grow gnarled,
may his throat rasp, may his mind grow addled and may his back grow bent forever.
We call upon Hant, Heort, and Hara; And all the good gods and goddesses to protect this.
Copyright © 2010 by Issaries, Inc and Moon Design LLC
Page 1
The Book of Heortling Mythology
The Stafford Library: Volume XI
The Three Old Gods
Nearly all Heortling ceremonies begin with the same invocation:
We call upon Hant, Heort, and Hara;
And all the good gods and goddesses…
These three beings are all old heroes who are so old that they permeate Heortling society. None of them get many normal
sacrifices, either annual or for special causes. Nonetheless, they all feed upon all the sacrifices in which they are invoked. They are:
Hant, the diminutive of Hantrafal, is the man who first brought the secrets of sacrifice, prayer, and blessing to people. He
lived in the Vingkotling Age. He is called the First God-Talker.
Heort is the founder of all customs, laws, sacrifices, and anything else that makes a person a Heortling.
Hara is a nickname that means “Beloved,” and is a title that men use for Ernalda, Asrelia, and Voria, and that women use for
Orlanth, Heler, and Elmal.
This is the Third edition of this book, updated for the
Continuum Convention, Leicester, UK, July 2010.
No rights are granted to copy this book or its material in any manner.
The Stafford Library Series
3001 – King of Sartar
3002 – The Glorious Reascent of Yelm
3003 – The Fortunate Succession
3004 – The Entekosiad
3005 – The Missing Lands
3006 – Revealed Mythologies
3007 – Arcane Lore
3008 – The Middle Sea Empire
3009 – History of the Heortling Peoples
3010 – Esrolia: Land of Ten Thousand Goddesses
3011 – The Book of Heortling Mythology
A Moon Design Publication
3450 Wooddale Ct, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
www.glorantha.com
Page 2
Copyright © 2010 by Issaries, Inc. and Moon Design LLC
The Stafford Library: Volume XI
The Book of Heortling Mythology
Introduction
Issariada
What Is This Book?
This book is an attempt to gather together as many stories
about the deities of the Orlanth and Ernalda pantheon. It is,
however, still an
Unfinished Work,
and thus not as slick as
my storytelling instincts want to make it. But then, I’ve
compiled it for my own use and I don’t need it slick now.
This compilation is sufficient for me.
that is simultaneously both a protective mask for, and an
obvious path to understanding the Mystery. These different
aspects are brought forth depending upon the
circumstances of the ritual being observed, the magic being
obtained or whatever form of consciousness the participant
or observer has.
Sources
This book includes published material from several items
that are out of print. These were Issaries
Hero Wars
publications that have since gone out of print:
King of Sartar,
Storm Tribe,
and
Thunder Rebels.
It includes materials from
Wyrms Footnotes
as well, including some long-lost articles.
It includes unpublished materials. The vast and
unfinished earlier drafts of
Harmast Saga
has contributed
many tales, plucked from that narrative.
Four Ways to Experience
These Stories
Myths carry layers of meaning, and their meaning is also
imparted differently depending upon the position of the
recipient of them.
1. Reading
You will probably read this book silently to yourself. The
narration is necessarily externalized and will be from a
distance. Only mental facilities will be used. This is the
weakest method of retelling.
Commentary
Several scholars are quoted throughout this text:
Torsar,
a Lhankor Mhy scholar of the Jonstown
Temple.
Eridulva the Wise,
Priestess of Greenstone Temple
Vesorlanth of Danstead,
priest of the Colymar tribe.
The Colymar were one of the most traditional Heortling
peoples.
Serkostes Silvertongue,
Issaries storyteller of
Boldhome.
Anaksalior the Westerner
was a westerner who
converted to the Orlanthi way. His peculiar approach was
accepted to be the perspective of the Westerners and kept
as a guideline.
2 Verbal retelling
To listen to someone read or narrate these stories stimulates
the listener much more than just reading silently would. The
listener uses more senses, and more of the self is engaged
and excited by sound, gesture, and surprises.
3. Witness
When the observer actually witnesses other people
performing the myth all senses become engaged, and
external perspectives give depth to the narrative.
Furthermore, observers will see things being done that are
entirely absent from the verbal retelling.
Understanding Mythology
Readers will see that many of these stories seem to
contradict each other, even when about the same entity.
What, one may well ask, is the actual origin of Death? How
can Umath be circling the rim of the universe when he is
also at the central court talking to Yelm?
One aspect of myth is that is simultaneously holds
multiple versions of truth at any moment. It always means
more than one thing. It cannot be contained by mere logic,
nor even by solitary illogic. It is a manifestation of Mystery
4. Participatory
To actually participate in a dramatic myth provides the most
power and impact. Perspective is more limited than
witnessing, for naturally the participant must take care to
play his part and not be distracted by other things. But
incredible depth can be obtained from participating in key
roles, and in being observed by others, and in channeling
the deity’s story.
Copyright © 2010 by Issaries, Inc and Moon Design LLC
Page 3
The Book of Heortling Mythology
The Stafford Library: Volume XI
What Happens on a Holy Day
No mortal can live with gods.
The ordinary world is separate from the Immortal
Worlds. They have been separated ever since Orlanth, the
Great God, rescued the world and began Time. Since that
moment, people have been spared the misery of living close
to hostile demons who want to kill or indifferent gods and
spirits who can destroy them by accident.
The world of the gods has many names: cosmic realm,
Other Side, Over There, Heaven and Hell, Underworld,
Faerie, Hero Plane, and many others which are much more
specific: Karulinoran, which is Orlanth's tula; Daleel, where
Ernalda lives; the Six Stones and Darhudan's Bench. All
those places are in the cosmic, unchanging realm of myth
and divinity.
Here, we are in the world of men. People are born and
die here, raising crops from dirt and spilling blood into soil.
Everything changes here, with wars and art, with cultures
and crises, ecology and emergency all combining with
weather and woe, health and horror, love and loss, tides and
trembling. And together these things, and more, make the
world of humanity.
Certain people naturally bridge between the divine and
mortal. They can channel that energy into the world of men.
They are transformers, changing the world. They are priests,
storm lords, and other such powerful holy people. When
they channel the cosmic powers to transform the world of
men, it is called magic.
At certain times the two worlds come closer together,
threatening to merge as they were before Time began. Such
events are usually bad, because people are often drawn into
that world, or demons loosed into this one. Our priests and
warriors are always on guard against these incursions. Our
wise men have recorded their appearances, and because they
are bound within the restrictions of Time we are rarely
surprised by them any more.
Some of these incursions are good, too, because the
good gods at that time come into the world of men to bless
and protect. They show humans their stories, and in that
telling reveal their powers so that the spirits and souls of
mortals feed and are replenished.
These are Holy Days. Every deity of power has at least
one, and some have several. Every person who’s been
initiated into those secrets partakes of their god that day.
Ceremonies are the preferred method of interaction. The
people all gather at places where the god performed some
great deed and share in it.
Such deeds made the world, and a part of the god is in
that time and place. Great deeds give easier access to the
god, and allow the deity a much greater presence. Here, too,
the spiritual transformers perform their ritual magic. The
god and his worshippers meet, merge, and are sanctified.
Thus on a holy day even the merest initiate partakes in the
glory and danger of the mythic world. Worshippers who are
prepared usually reap great benefits when the worlds
intrude.
Annual celebrations celebrate some or another victory,
birth, creation, or other success of their deity A god's high
holy day is even more powerful. If the number of
participants is large enough then the intersection of divine
and human world is easier and includes a larger territory,
and may very likely draw nearby friends or even strangers to
interact in the divine action.
As these special dates approach, the leaders of these
events consult with each other, or their deity, or whatever is
required for proper worship. They determine details of the
next ceremony.
Details often vary even for the same ceremony each
year. The desired results often determine these details. Thus
on Motherhood day, the same opening and blessing
ceremonies are always used, but the deity who is born is
almost always a free choice from among the many deities
which Esrola has brought to humankind. Of course, the
closing rites are the same too, to make sure that he opening
between worlds is properly closed.
So the initial mythic acts determine the human
ceremonies. The rites vitalize the word with the mythical act
and give the world power. In the ceremony the deities again
take their places in this world, and once again perform their
immortal actions. By this interaction between humans and
gods that mythic action occurs again, and its results in the
human world have a better chance to happen as the priests
wished.
It is a Holy Day for the god, because the Other World
and Our World are not separated. The gods are present.
The worshippers gather. They remember the god.
Page 4
Copyright © 2010 by Issaries, Inc. and Moon Design LLC

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